What's a good trail for a 5-day backpacking trip in Olympic National Park in Aug?

Question

I'm hoping to do a 4 or 5 night (5 or 6 day) backpacking trip in August and would love to do a route that would include high elevation, rain forest, and beach (if such a trail exists).

I've heard that the Hoh River might provide all these different climates, but I've been unable to find a specific trip.

Answer 1

The Hoh will not get you to the beach.  There is SO much to see in the ONF, that it would be tough to get everything in on one trip.  I would highly recommend the Enchanted Valley hike (It skirts along the east fork of the Quinault river).  It's 13 miles from the trail head to Enchanted Valley (an enchanted place, indeed) I was there a summer or two ago and saw loads of bear (including a mating pair) and a bobcat.   The Hoh trail will get you up to Blue Glacier (high alpine) but if my memory serves, it's a  long hike in and out (about 40 miles round trip).  There are a few coastal trips, but the coast hikes are  not accessible from the mountain hikes.  The coast areas of the National Forest are separate from the more inland areas.  I've done the Ozette coastal hike and it was great.  It's a 9 mile loop...it's basically a triangle.  You start at trail head and hike three miles to either Sand Point or Cape Alava.  From there, it's a 3 mile hike on the beach to either Sand Point or Cape Alava...from there 3 more miles back to the trail head.  It was a great hike.  

If you click on this link and then click on 'wilderness trail and campsite map' you will get a pretty good map of the trailheads and the back country campgrounds as well as info on each back country campground (bear wire or not, privy or not, reservations or not, etc.)

Good luck!  It's a great place to backpack!

Answer 2

Olympic Nat. Park is huge and beautiful. I have been up there a few times but I never hiked on the beach. The Washington forest service should have details of all the trails. Try google.